Royal Air Force Station Nicosia or RAF Nicosia was a
Royal Air Force (RAF) station on the island of
Cyprus, built in the 1930s. The station served as Headquarters
Royal Air Force Cyprus from 8 June to 29 July 1941.
The original principal airport for Cyprus,
Nicosia International Airport
Nicosia International Airport ( gr, Διεθνές Αεροδρόμιο Λευκωσίας, tr, Lefkoşa Uluslararası Havaalanı) is a largely disused airport located west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia in the Lakatamia suburb. It was ...
, was built within the site of the RAF station. Both civil and military aviation on the island operated from the site, although the RAF disestablished the station in 1966.
The 1974
Turkish invasion of Cyprus led to the cessation of commercial operations from the airport, although the site is still owned by the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
Ministry of Defence, but is controlled by the
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and used as a base by
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
peace-keeping patrol
helicopters.
Station history
Source: ''Britain's Small Wars''
*
No. 6 Squadron RAF
Number 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 at RAF Lossiemouth.
It was previously equipped with the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3 in the close air support and tactical reconnaissance roles, and was posted to RAF Colti ...
first used the airfield on 3 October 1946 with the
Supermarine Spitfire LF.9 before re-equipping with the
Hawker Tempest F.6 in December of that year and moving to
RAF Shallufa
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
on 5 September 1947. The squadron returned on 5 April 1951 with the
de Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force, RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and ...
FB 5 before leaving to
RAF Deversoir on 22 May 1951 however the unit soon returned on 31 May 1952 with the Vampire FB 9 before leaving on 11 July 1952 moving to
RAF Habbaniya. The unit returned on 28 August 1954 with the
de Havilland Venom
The de Havilland DH 112 Venom is a British post-war single-engined jet aircraft developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Much of its design was derived from the de Havilland Vampire, the firm's first jet-powered combat ...
FB 1 before moving again to Habbaniya on 5 October 1954, on 7 November 1955 the unit returned for the final time with the Venom FB 4. The squadron moved to Habbaniya on 12 December 1955.
*
No. 8 Squadron RAF
Number 8 Squadron (sometimes written as No. VIII Squadron) of the Royal Air Force last operated the Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 ( AWACS) from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. As of 2020, the RAF AWACS fleet was made up of three Sentry AEW1s, down fr ...
– operating
Auster AOP.6
The Auster AOP.6 was a British military air observation aircraft produced by Auster Aircraft Limited to replace the numerous wartime Taylorcraft Auster aircraft then in-service.
History
The Auster AOP.6 (Auster Model K) was designed as a succe ...
(from Jul. 1950);
de Haviland Vampire (from Jul. 1953)
*
No. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operati ...
– operating
Gloster Javelin (from Mar. 1963)
*
No. 32 Squadron RAF
Number 32 (The Royal) Squadron (sometimes abbreviated as No. 32 (TR) Squadron) of the Royal Air Force operates in the VIP and general air transport roles from RAF Northolt in Greater London.
Originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Fl ...
– operating
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havilla ...
B2
*
No. 33 Squadron RAF
Number 33 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Westland Puma HC.2 from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire.
History
First World War
No. 33 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed from part of No. 12 Squadron at Filton on 12 January 1916. ...
– operating Gloster Javelin FAW7
*
No. 39 Squadron RAF
Number 39 Squadron is an inactive squadron of the Royal Air Force. It last operated the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper from Creech AFB, Nevada, between January 2007 and August 2022. It had previously operated the English Electric Canberra PR. ...
– operating
Gloster Meteor NF13
*
No. 43 Squadron RAF
("Glory is the end")
, colors=
, colors_label=
, march=
, mascot=
, battles=
, anniversaries=
, decorations=
, battle_honours=
* Western Front (1917–1918)
*Arras (1917)
* Ypres (1917)*
* Cambrai (1917)
* Somme (1918)*
*Lys
*Amiens (1918)
*Du ...
– operating
Hawker Hunter FGA 9 (from Jun. 1961)
*
No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.
World War I
No. 46 Squadron was ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 70 Squadron RAF
No.70 or LXX Squadron RAF provides strategic transport.
History
First World War
The squadron was formed on 22 April 1916 at Farnborough, and was equipped with the Sopwith 1½ Strutter. The squadron was posted to France, and in 1917 re-equip ...
– operating
Vickers Valetta
The Vickers Valetta is a twin-engine military transport aircraft developed and produced by the British manufacturing company Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. Developed from the Vickers VC.1 Viking compact civil airliner, it was an all-metal mid-wing m ...
C1,
Handley Page Hastings
The Handley Page HP.67 Hastings is a retired British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and manufactured by aviation company Handley Page for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Upon its introduction to service during September 1948, ...
*
No. 73 Squadron RAF – operating de Havilland Venom FB4
*
No. 74 Squadron RAF
Number 74 Squadron, also known as "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger-head motif, was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s, and then trainers until its disbandment in 2000. It was the Royal Air For ...
– operating Spitfire V, later Mk IX (from Sep. 1943)
*
No. 80 Squadron RAF – operating
Hawker Hurricane MkI (from Jun. 1941)
*
No. 84 Squadron RAF
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, using the Bell Griffin HAR.2 helicopter. It is currently one of the two operational parts of the RAF Search and Rescue Force left in serv ...
– operating Vickers Valetta C1
*
No. 103 Squadron RAF
No. 103 Squadron was a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during World War I, World War II and the Cold War, switching to helicopters in the late 1950s until it was disbanded for the last time in 1975.
History
Formation in World War I
No. 103 ...
– operating
Bristol Sycamore
The Bristol Type 171 Sycamore was an early helicopter developed and built by the helicopter division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The name refers to the seeds of the sycamore tree, ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', which fall with a rotating motion ...
HC1
*
No. 114 Squadron RAF
No. 114 Squadron was a squadron of the British Royal Air Force. It was first formed in India during the First World War, serving as a light bomber squadron during the Second World War and as a transport squadron post-war. It was last disbanded i ...
– operating Vickers Valetta C1,
de Havilland Chipmunk T10
*
No. 127 Squadron RAF
No. 127 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force.
History
It was first formed as a day bomber unit in February 1918, but was disbanded on 4 July of that year without seeing service. From 29 J ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 162 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 185 Squadron RAF
No. 185 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed in World War I and reformed as a bomber and fighter unit in World War II. It then reformed in Malta in the post war period as a jet fighter squadron.
History
Formation and World War I
N ...
– operating ???
*
No. 202 Squadron RAF
No. 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the maritime and mountains training element of the No.1 Flying Training School, operating the Airbus Helicopters H145 Jupiter.
It previously operated the Sea King HAR3 in the search and rescue role ...
– operating Hawker Hunter F6
*
No. 203 Squadron RAF
No. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918.
History First World War
The squadron can be traced to The Eastchurch Squadron, wh ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 208 Squadron RAF
No 208 (Reserve) Squadron was a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operated the BAe Hawk aircraft, as a part of No. 4 Flying Training School. Due to obsolescence of its Hawk T.1 aircraft ...
– operating Spitfire FR XVIII
*
No. 213 Squadron RAF – operating Tempest VI
*
No. 230 Squadron RAF
No. 230 Squadron is an RAF squadron, currently based at RAF Benson.
The squadron was part of Royal Air Force Germany, operating the Puma HC.1 there from 1980. Following the drawdown at the end of the Cold War, the squadron disbanded on 30 Apri ...
– operating
Scottish Aviation Pioneer
The Scottish Aviation Pioneer was an STOL aircraft manufactured by Scottish Aviation in Scotland. It was used for casualty evacuation and communications and could accommodate a pilot and up to four passengers.
Design and development
The Pion ...
CC1
*
No. 234 Squadron RAF
No. 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF, being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II. After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957. In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn ...
– operating ???
*
No. 243 Squadron RAF
No. 243 Squadron was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force. Originally formed in August 1918 from two flights that had been part of the Royal Naval Air Service, the squadron conducted anti-submarine patrols during the final stages of World War ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 249 Squadron RAF – operating de Havilland Venom FB1
*
No. 250 Squadron RAF
No. 250 (Sudan) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron formed as a reconnaissance and anti–submarine unit in the First World War and a fighter unit in the Second World War. History
No. 250 Squadron was formed on 10 May 1918 at Padstow ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 256 Squadron RAF
No. 256 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force which operated during the First and Second World Wars. Initially equipped with Dh6 and Kangaroo aircraft, it operated Defiant Mk IIs, Beaufighters, and Mosquitoes in the Seco ...
– operating ???
*
No. 261 Squadron RAF
No. 261 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War I and World War II. It was involved in the defence of Malta from August 1940 till May 1941 and the campaign in Burma.
History
Formation and World War I
The squadron ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 272 Squadron RAF
No. 272 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti–submarine unit in World War I and a coastal fighter unit in World War II.
History
Formation and World War I
No. 272 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 25 July 1918 ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 284 Squadron RAF – operating Bristol Sycamore HR14
*
No. 294 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 451 Squadron RAAF – operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 459 Squadron RAAF
No. 459 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron that operated during World War II. It was formed in early 1942 and served as a maritime patrol and bomber unit in the Mediterranean theatre until early 1945, operating mainly Lock ...
– operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 603 Squadron RAF
No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. On reforming on 1 October 1999, the primary role of 603 Squadron, was as a ''Survive to Operate'' squadron, as well as providing ...
– operating ???
*
No. 680 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft.
*
No. 14 Squadron RNZAF
14 Squadron RNZAF is a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. In 2015 the squadron was re-raised and equipped with 11 Beechcraft T-6 Texan II. A new aerobatic display team called the Black Falcons was also formed using the new aircraft. T ...
– operating de Haviland Vampire (1952–55)
RAF Regiments
*
No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment
The II Squadron RAF Regiment is a parachute-trained Field Squadron of RAF Regiment based at RAF Brize Norton.
Early history
The unit was formed as Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF at Heliopolis, Egypt on 7 April 1922 and placed under the co ...
*
No. 21 Squadron RAF Regiment
*
No. 26 Squadron RAF Regiment
*
No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment
*
No. 29 Squadron RAF Regiment
*
No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment is a C-UAS Sqn of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is to detect, track, and ultimately disrupt and destroy unmanned airborne vehicles. The squadron's current HQ is at RAF Leeming. The motto of the ...
*
No. 37 Squadron RAF Regiment
Current use
The site is now the currently largely disused
Nicosia International Airport
Nicosia International Airport ( gr, Διεθνές Αεροδρόμιο Λευκωσίας, tr, Lefkoşa Uluslararası Havaalanı) is a largely disused airport located west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia in the Lakatamia suburb. It was ...
.
See also
*
List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
Many aircraft types have served in the British Royal Air Force since its formation in April 1918 from the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. This is a list of RAF aircraft, including all currently active and retired ty ...
*
List of former Royal Air Force stations
*
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
*
Royal Air Force station
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
External links
The murder of Corporal Patrick J. Hale at RAF NicosiaRAF Nicosia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicosia
Royal Air Force stations in Cyprus
Royal Air Force stations of World War II in Europe
Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the Middle East
World War II airfields in Cyprus